Green roofs can improve urban ecological conditions by mitigating the heat island effect and absorbing harmful gases. Soil additives can improve roof soil properties and promote the stability of the urban ecosystem. As soil additives, biochar and sludge are widely used in the ground, but their application on roofs is still scarce. This study examined the carbon storage potential of green roofs amended with sludge and biochar. The roof soil was composed of soil and varying proportions of the additives (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, v/v); Sedum lineare was then planted. The carbon contents of the soils and plants were measured for one year. The influence of biochar or sludge on the carbon content of the roof soil and the factors affecting the roof carbon storage potential were analyzed. The results showed that the carbon storage potential of a biochar green roof (9.3 kg C m⁻²) was significantly higher than that of a sludge green roof (7.9 kg C m⁻²). Biochar increased the carbon content of the green roof by improving the physical properties of the roof soil and promoting plant growth, whereas sludge increased the carbon content of the green roof by improving the chemical properties of the roof soil. Moreover, biochar could not only store large amounts of stable carbon, but also reduce the weight of the green roof, improve soil moisture, and provide a resourceful utilization of municipal sludge. Thus, biochar can be considered a material for promoting carbon storage on green roofs.

Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms as a driving force to assist mine phytoremediation

Chrysanthemum, an agricultural economic crop with ornamental, medicinal, and edible values, faces the problem of continuous cropping obstacles in its cultivation. As a potential soil conditioner used to address continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs), the applicability of biochar in chrysanthemum cultivation has become a research hotspot. This study explored the effects of three different types of biochar (rice straw biochar = RB, pig manure biochar = PB, and sludge biochar = SB) on soil for chrysanthemum that had been continuously cultivated for eight years through pot experiments. The results indicate that the addition of biochar significantly reduced soil water loss. Compared with CK, the water retention rates of the SB and PB treatments increased by 25.4% and 18.4%, respectively. In the PB treatment, the contents of available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) increased by 85% and 164%, respectively. The available nitrogen (AN) content showed the highest increase under the SB treatment. All three types of biochar could improve the pH value of chrysanthemum soil with CCOs (increased by 0.4–5.4%). The results of microbial community diversity showed that, compared with CK, PB and RB slightly reduced the diversity of bacterial communities in chrysanthemum soil with CCOs (by 1.50% and 0.41%, respectively). However, the SB treatment increased the diversity of bacterial communities in chrysanthemum soil with CCOs (by 0.41%). At the same time, SB and PB significantly inhibited the diversity of fungal communities (reduced by 15.15% and 6.67%, respectively), while RB promoted the diversity of fungal communities (increased by 5.45%). Furthermore, the analysis results of bacterial phyla and genera indicated that PB and SB had enhancing effects on the beneficial bacterial phylum Actinobacteriota (8.66% and 4.64%) and the beneficial bacterial genus Nocardioides (23.29% and 9.69%). Additionally, the PB treatment enhanced the beneficial bacterial phylum Firmicutes (7.03%). The analysis results of fungal genera and phyla indicated that PB contributed to an increase in the beneficial fungal phylum Ascomycota (1.51%). RB significantly enhanced the beneficial fungal genus Chaetomium (56.34%). Additionally, all three types of biochar effectively reduced the abundance of the harmful fungal phylum Basidiomycota (30.37–73.03%). In the PB and SB treatments, the harmful fungal phylum Mucoromycota was significantly decreased (by 36.22% and 62.60%, respectively). Finally, all three types of biochar reduced the abundance of harmful fungal genera Acremonium (1.15–35.19%) and Phoma (97.1–98.7%). In this study, we investigated the effect of three kinds of biochar (RB, PB, and SB) on the soil of chrysanthemum continuous cropping through potting experiments and found that they could significantly reduce water loss, enhance water retention, increase the soil nutrient content, improve the pH value, regulate microbial communities, increase beneficial microorganisms, and reduce harmful microorganisms. These results provide a scientific basis for addressing barriers to continuous cropping (CC) while supporting the sustainability of agriculture and the development of agroecology.

Corrigendum: Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms as a driving force to assist mine phytoremediation